Local Viewpoints

11:46 am

Thu August 29, 2013

Pearce: Congressional Approval Needed For Action In Syria

U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce and over one hundred of his colleagues in the House of Representatives have sent a letter to the President urging him to “consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of U.S. military force in Syria.”

“The President set a dangerous and unconstitutional precedent when he committed to military action in Libya without congressional approval,” said Pearce. “America cannot fight every battle - intervention in Syria would be a wrong and costly course. In Vietnam, I saw firsthand the consequences that result when we commit to military action hastily and without a clear objective. Before the President takes any action, it is his constitutional duty to consult and receive authorization from Congress.”

The letter notes that the Constitution and the war Powers Resolution of 1973 both outline the President’s responsibility to seek Congressional authorization: “Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution.”

The letter also notes that “Congress can reconvene at your request. We stand ready to come back into session, consider the facts before us, and share the burden of decisions made regarding U.S. involvement in the quickly escalating Syrian conflict”